Washington's political landscape has descended into unprecedented chaos this week, but not along the traditional party lines that typically divide Capitol Hill. Instead, Republicans are targeting Republicans while Democrats are attacking Democrats in a series of symbolic but deeply divisive congressional resolutions.
Symbolic Punishments Consume House Floor Time
The House of Representatives has become a battleground for internal party conflicts, with lawmakers introducing multiple privileged resolutions to censure or reprimand colleagues from their own parties. These measures, while entirely symbolic, have consumed hours of valuable floor time and escalated tensions within both political camps.
Representative Nancy Mace, a Republican from South Carolina, is preparing to introduce her fourth such resolution Wednesday night, continuing a trend that began Monday when Democratic Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez from Washington shocked her party by targeting Illinois Democrat Chuy Garcia.
The situation highlights how a single lawmaker can disrupt congressional proceedings by introducing these resolutions as privileged matters, forcing votes that create awkward political situations for their colleagues.
Democrats Fire First Shot in Internal Conflict
The wave of internal conflict began when Gluesenkamp Perez accused Garcia of election subversion, specifically alleging he schemed to install his chief of staff as his successor following his recent retirement announcement. The resulting vote created extraordinary tension within Democratic ranks.
Tuesday's vote saw the resolution pass with more than two dozen Democrats siding with Gluesenkamp Perez, along with all Republicans. Ten lawmakers abstained from voting entirely, while four others voted present, demonstrating the divisive nature of the internal party conflict.
Following the vote, Gluesenkamp Perez expressed gratitude for the support she received, stating in an official release: "I am profoundly grateful to have had 235 other Members of Congress stand with me, including 22 other Democrats. It shouldn't have caused as much friction as it did to speak honestly and consistently about election subversion."
Republicans Respond with Their Own Internal Battles
The Democratic infighting quickly prompted Republican retaliation. South Carolina Representative Ralph Norman introduced a resolution to censure Democratic Delegate Stacey Plaskett from the Virgin Islands and remove her from the House Intelligence Committee.
The resolution followed news reports indicating Plaskett had been texting with convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a 2019 congressional hearing. Plaskett narrowly avoided censure when every Democrat voted against the measure, joined by three Republicans: Don Bacon from Nevada, Lance Gooden from Texas, and Dave Joyce from Ohio.
Three additional Republicans attempted to remain neutral by voting present: Representatives Andrew Garbarino from New York, Dan Meuser from Pennsylvania, and Jay Obernolte from California.
Backroom Deals and Growing Conservative Anger
The political drama intensified when Democrats retaliated with their own resolution targeting Florida Republican Cory Mills, seeking to remove him from the House Armed Services Committee over past allegations of assault and revenge porn threats. Mills has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
In a surprising turn, Democrats withdrew their resolution against Mills as part of a deal with Republicans, who agreed not to support the measure against Plaskett. This backroom arrangement angered conservative Republicans, including Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna.
Luna expressed her frustration on social media, writing: "The Plaskett censure failed because house leadership exchanged the vote to protect a republican that's having a lot of issues and should NOT seek re-election." In another post, she added: "The swamp protects itself."
Nancy Mace Leads Charge Against Republican Colleague
The conflict shows no signs of abating as Representative Nancy Mace prepares to introduce another censure resolution against her Republican colleague Cory Mills. Earlier Wednesday, Mace wrote to House Speaker Mike Johnson, urging him to remove Mills from both the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
In her letter, Mace cited numerous concerns ranging from personal conduct allegations to international arms-dealing questions and issues regarding Mills's Bronze Star military award. Mace declared: "We simply cannot have an alleged arms dealer with foreign business sitting on the Committee on Foreign Affairs nor can we have stolen valor represented on the Committee on Armed Services."
When asked about her objectives with the latest censure resolution, Mace's office pointed to her public statement emphasizing that the measure "is about drawing a line: defending the integrity of Congress, standing with survivors who are too often dismissed or silenced, and respecting veterans whose courage is not up for debate."
The current flurry of censure resolutions represents a significant departure from normal congressional proceedings. The last congressional censure occurred in March, with the previous one happening in 2023. The most recent formal reprimand took place in 2020, making this week's multiple resolutions highly unusual.
As lawmakers continue targeting their own party members, the internal conflicts threaten to further paralyze legislative business and deepen divisions within both major political parties at a time when Congress faces numerous critical policy challenges.
